1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electrical power distribution apparatus and more particularly to an improved combination service entrance device having novel means for distributing power from the meter socket to multiple service disconnects.
2. Description of the Related Art
Combination service entrance devices having a common enclosure for housing a utility meter socket, and a load center or panel board having one or more service disconnects and a plurality of branch circuit breakers have gained commercial use, particularly for use in residential dwellings. The term "combination" refers to the fact that the unit encloses both the mounting provisions for a utility-company watt-hour meter ("meter") and a panel board containing circuit breakers for the distribution, control and protection of various circuits in a building.
The utility companies require that the utility meter section of any such combination service entrance device be separated and sealed from the customer's side, i.e., the circuit breakers. Therefore, the manufacturers of such devices place a solid barrier at or near the center of the common enclosure to provide two sections or compartments: one sealed compartment for housing the meter socket and the other unsealed compartment for housing the panel board.
In the majority of cases, the panel board contains a single circuit breaker or main service disconnect and a plurality of branch circuit breakers which distribute power to individual loads. However, in some applications there is a need to distribute power from the meter section to multiple service disconnects or main circuit breakers placed in spaced relation to each other in the panel board section. In a typical application, the panel board section contains a main circuit breaker for a dwelling and main circuit breakers to control a device, such as a well pump.
The physical space to make connections on the load side of the watt-hour meter socket is usually quite limited. Most of the prior art systems utilize bus bars to distribute the power from the meter socket to more than one location. Bus bars are very difficult to insulate from accidental contact, difficult and expensive to manufacture and equally difficult to route around various components in the service entrance device.
The present invention addresses the above-noted deficiencies of the prior art combination service entrance units and provides an improved combination service entrance device which utilizes a novel connector coupled to each of the output ends of the meter socket and insulated conductors to route power from the utility meter section to multiple service disconnects placed in the panel board section. The system of the present invention is safer and less expensive to manufacture compared to the systems using bus bars for routing power to the service disconnects.